We asked if a hot Nissan Micra Nismo was on the way. Nissan didn't say no…
Speaking to Nissan's European head of product planning Christophe Amblard, he constructively replied to our enquiry about a potential Micra Nismo hot hatchback, by telling us that Nissan is 'actively looking at all sorts of possibilities with its future product range, including widening the Nismo range. But nothing can so far be confirmed'. Advertisement - Article continues below
Such a car would help bolster the Nismo name, which the Japanese company is using as one of the 'core' brands alongside Patrol and Juke. But beyond just being a branding exercise, it would also make full use of the new Micra's platform, which we know is capable of handling more power.
And while Nissan isn't flush with development cash right now, the Micra's close alignment to the Renault 5 means the work that sister company Alpine's done to its A290 hot hatchback could be an efficient way of giving the Micra more power and a more focused chassis.
Of course, you can't buy a Nismo Micra yet, but you can search for deals on the Alpine A290 via Auto Express's ' Find a Car ' service…
The core of the Alpine's changes relate largely to the new e-motor's power, which is rated at a much more serious 217bhp in its GTS form, 69bhp more than the existing Micra. But it's not just the more powerful engine that's been fiddled with, as the chassis has also been given a wider track, bigger wheels, larger brakes and uprated suspension.
So while we'll need to wait a little longer for absolute confirmation that another high performance Nismo model is on the cards, if Nissan deems it a solid business case, something built in homage to the original Nissan Micra Super Turbo could be just around the corner. That car, rather ironically, also had a secondary set of inset spot lights – just like you'll also find on an Alpine A290. Watch this space.
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Find a car with the experts MG4 and MGS5 EV prices slashed in reply to Government Electric Car Grant
MG4 and MGS5 EV prices slashed in reply to Government Electric Car Grant
In order to boost sales, MG is announcing its own a £1,500 grant for some of its EVs Chinese cars will take over as Britain's best sellers
Chinese cars will take over as Britain's best sellers
With a dramatic rise in sales, Mike Rutherford thinks it's only a matter of time before Chinese cars outsell all other countries in the UK Roll over diesel: EVs are now doing the big mileage in the UK
Roll over diesel: EVs are now doing the big mileage in the UK
The average UK electric car now covers more than 10,000 miles per year, a similar amount to the average diesel.
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